Burglar-proof safe.



T. S. SPIVEY.

BURGLAR PROOF SAFE. APPLICATION FILED FEB-25,1913.

Patented J an; 30, 1917.

6 v 6 5 6 @x O clarion.

THOMAS S. SPIVEY, QIE CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICANBANKER/S SAFETY COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE A CORPORATION OFDELAWARE.

BURGLAR-PROOF SAFE.

Application filed February 25, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS S. Srrvnr, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton andState of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inBurglar-Proof Safes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to burglar-proof safes and vaults and, moreparticularly, to the peculiar structure thereof in which thelocking-bolts are not affected when a high powerexplosive is dischargedin the door- .jamb crevice where safe-blowers usually work to get at theinterior of the safe.

The main object of the invention is to provide a safe, which, whenlocked, is secure against malicious opening thereof by means of highexplosives, there being ample means provided in its construction for theoutward escape of the force of said explosives, which means will readilytake the shock and duly relieve the high-pressure thereof by giving wayunder less pressure or force than that required to break or release thelocking-bolts.

A further object is to so construct the door as to protect thelocking-bolts as much as possible by placing them out of alinement withthe customary exposed door-jamb crevice. This feature is accomplished bvproviding a round door that has on its outer face lateral wings orplates that extend in opposite directions and with one of suchextensions pivotally-connected to the fore-wall' of the safe for hingingsaid door thereto.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, Figure 1 is a horizontalcross-section taken through the front portion of a safe that isconstructed according to my invention herein; Fig. 2, a front elevationof the safe; and Fig. 3, a rear elevation of the improved roundsafe-door and its lateral-extensions. 1 represents the safe-body havingin its fore'wall a circular man-hole, and 2 the middle or body portionof the closing-door. The body 2 has an inner circulanportion that formsthe door'proper and is somewhat tapered to engage the correspondinglytapered and stepped jamb of the man-hole. Said body 2 has an integrallaterally-extended portion 5 at opposite sides thereof that considerablyoverlap said circular-portion and greatly beyond the man-hole, ap-

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 34 1917.

Serial No. 750,650.

proaching the side edges of the fore-wall, as shown in both Figs. 1 and2.' It is in these lateral-extensions 5 that I prefe'ably provide anumber of horizontal, tapered openings or outwardly-expandingvent-passages that are weakly filled or plugged with a soft or fragilematerial 6 such as lead, plaster, wax, or the like. These tapered oenings preferablycommunicate with a common recess or countersink 7, asshown in Figs. 1- and 3, on the inner faces of both of thelateral-extensions 5. Each of the countersinl-zs 7 forms a commoncommunicating-chamber at each. vertical side of the door 3, in the saidlateral-extensions 5 thereof, for the said tapered openings orvent-passages and allows for a uniform distribution of any explosivesthat may possibly be surreptitiously inserted or forced beneath the saidlateralextensions 5, and thereby distributes the high pressure or heavyshock of the explosion to all of the said weakly filled or pluggedopenings or ventpassages. If desired, however, each side-chamber 7 maybe further filled with an absorbent material plosive and therebysomewhat further weaken or reduce its exploding force, or altogetherdestroy its fracturing, rupturing, or bursting power.

The locking-bolts 8 are provided in the inner circular-portion 3, thatformsthe door proper, in a suitable manner and are duly connected to atime-lock mechanism 9. Besides, I prefer to mount a permutation orcombination clay-lock device 10 on the outer laterally-extending portion5 (to the left) of the front of the door, and it has suitable bolts 10',as shown dotted in Fig. 2, and, also, in plan in Fig. 1. The clay-lock1O materially adds to the resisting-strength of the safe and renders itsomewhat difficult to open the door, especially in the said lateralleft-extension 5 thereof.

In operation, the entire door structure is swung outwardly from closedposition and vice versa on the forked arm 11 that is hinged at 12 to thesafe-body and it is, also, pivotally-connected at 13 to the outer faceof the middle or body portion 2.

It is obvious that the door, constructed as herein shown, will prove aninvaluable one in the art of safe building, it rendering the safe quitesecure. against surreptitious vnipulating opening by the use of highexplosives in the covered and hidden door-jamb thereof. In the event anexplosive is placed beneath the lateral left-extension 5 adjacent thedaylock 10, or near the hinges 12, beneath the lateral right-extension5, Where it would be most often and likely applied, it Would immediatelyexpand or spread into the common chamber 7 adjacent the said day-lock,or the said hinges, respectively, or both,

where it would be widely distributed or dissipated throughout the saidchambers 7 along either or both of the lateral-extensions 5 of the doorWithin their overlapping surfaces. Upon the ignition of the explosivethe Weak or fragile fillings or plugs 6 in the tapered openings orvent-passages will instantly give way and escape outwardly before thelocking-bolts-S can possibly be affected or break and-thus render theuse of any explosives offpractically no avail in breaking into-.the'afeafidr'istructed as herein, due mainly,- ,.t'o-j the impossibility ofconfining the'said explosives in the air-tight chambers 7 beneath thelaterally-extending portions 5 of the door.

The fact that the inner circular or round portion 8 of the door proper,wherein the main locking-bolts 8 are located, is entirely concealed andprotected by means of the laterally-extended portions 5, makes it quiteplain that the safe is rendered still more effective and secure againstsurreptitious bursting or destruction by the ignition of explosivestherein.

The customary eccentric 14: and its malever or handle 15 are mounted onthe hanger of the door so that the center of the latter may be dulyplaced under the pressure of the said eccentric when the door structureis closed.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for I claim 1. The combination ofa hollow safe-body having a circular man-hole in its fore-Wall acircular closing-door forthe said manhole and extending outwardly beyondthe face of said fore-Wall, and opposite lateralextensions on the saidoutwardly-extending part of the circular door adapted to lat-,

orally-overlap the said man-hole adjacent the point of co-action of thecircular door and its circular man-hole.

2. A burglar-proof safe comprising a hollow body-portion having acircular manhole a circular closing-door for the manhole,oppositely-disposed lateral-extensions on the outer face of saidcircular door each having an expanding-chamber beneath it andoverlapping said man-hole, horizontal vent outlets or passagesprovidedin the said lateral-extensions and leading from saidexpanding-chambers to their outer faces, fragile or easily dislodgedplugs'inserted in said vent outlets or passages and adapted to receiveand offset the high pressure of an explosive when fired within saidlateral-extensions.

3. A safe comprising a body-portion havinga suitable man-hole, a dooradapted to properly engage said man-hole and having oppositely-disposedlateral-extensions, and horizontal vent outlets or passages provided insaid oppositely-disposed lateralcxtensions and expanding outwardly fromthe inner face of said extensions to the outer face thereof and forminga ready escape for any explosive fired beneath the saidlateralextensions.

THOMAS S. SPIVEY. \Vitnesses JOHN ELIAS J ONES, LORETTA LUCK.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents, Washington,D C.

